Restoring Dragon's Heart

Belle: Fight and Flight

“No!” Belle roared out. “Put me down.”

She cried. Her hands tapped down at the back of Lisa even as she was lifted through space. The rapidity of her strikes did not steer Lisa. The way she twisted and tossed about under the firm grip of those hands did not change the mind of her mother.

Belle hated this. She hated how she would have to be treated like a child. It was fine to say she was. But only in a few hours, she would clock in as an adult. Anger flushed through her mind as she reveled in the idea of being carried.

Would her actual mother do something like this? Would her actual mother not care about her the way Lisa did? The way she bundled her like she did not matter?

Like she did not deserve a say in whatever went on. Even though this directly affected her life.

As painful as it was, Belle reasoned, there was only little she could do. She was not strong enough to break out.

Plus, what if she struggled and ended up hurting Lisa instead?

The distance began to space out right before her eyes. With tear-coated eyes, she saw the walls of her bedroom become distant. With some turns and twists, they were outside. The doors of her house slammed shut as Lisa continued to run.

How she was even able to run with her on the back was a mystery to Belle. Just where did her mother get this amazing strength she had?

And how was it that the best way she could get her to move was to manhandle her?

How was it that her own mother did not care for her? Did not care for how she screamed and slapped hard at her back? Just so that she could be let down and then respond like a normal human being?

Her throat muscles constructed continually. Her toes and fingers clenched so hard. Tears ran down her face as dejected sighs escaped her lips. No matter how she resisted, Lisa would not reason.

And the more she tried to break out, the tighter the grip got.

Straining practically from the tight grip her mother had in her, Belle coughed out amidst the stream of tears. The revving of the car got closer. The urgent urging of her father, Mark's voice sounded closer.

Her heart went into a flutter. Her father, Mark, was there. He would be the better one to reason with. She assumed, trying to turn around.

However, what she heard next sank her heart.

“You’ve gotten her. Good. We can hit out of here in time now.” Mark bellowed out.

He completely bought what Lisa sold. IAnd it hurt. So badly. It hurt so much to know that the one person who she had, who always bailed her out from Lisa’s act, was in line with her.

Lisa nodded. Belle felt it. With a not so gentle thud, her body crashed down into the back seat of the car. Instinctively, she threw her legs up, trying to break free.

Her legs slammed into Lisa. Or at least, appeared to do. Except that Lisa was faster. With a quick sway of her hands, she put Belle's legs forcefully down. Then they pushed out, shutting the car door instantly.

“No!” Belle cried. She rose up, hastily rushing to the door.

Her fingers clawed down the lock, prying it open. Hit it would not budge. Rather, the clicking of the car doors from the driver's side rent the air, earning a gasp of fright from Belle.

Looking up, she saw Mark waving the keys at her. He got into the car seat, behind the wheel, while Lisa turned around now.

“Baby, please calm down.” Mark said.

“Dad? You too?” Belle cried out, throwing her hands wide in desperation.

Her eyebrows knitted down even more. The strange wave of betrayal slammed into her. She reeled in the realization of this. Mark was knee deep with Lisa. And there was hardly anything she could do.

The pain was still shocking. She swallowed hard, fighting back the additional tears that stemmed from her shattered heart. The wrenching pain in the left side of her chest sinking all of her breath.

Belle gasped.

“Baby, it will be fine.” We just need to get out of here.” Mark said now:

With a twist of the key, the engine soared into drive. A blast of acceleration and it tore along the road.

Luckily it was nighttime. The law enforcement was not that concentrated on their work, otherwise they should have one at their tail. The car sped along, zooming through the washing of street lamps as it turned the corner.

“Drive faster. We need to get out of here. Time.” Lisa cried out, her hand slamming down the dashboard.

“I am doing that.” Mark grimaced at her. L don’t make this any harder than it already is.” He said to her, shaking his head while his eyes darted about.

At this point, Belle could find her voice. She swelled now. But it was less painful. Like the earlier time when she’d seen her father at the wheel.

At least, even if Lisa acted this way, she’d expected Mark to be better. Mark was the one who could get her.

The speed they traveled at was insane. It was more than what Mark would usually drive by. Pain stricken, she poked at Lisa, seeing her mother look about. Like she was watching out for something, her lips muttering inaudible words every now and then.

The urgency they acted with, gave her the jitters. There is a lot going on here. She only wished that they let her know what was actually going on. Was that too much to ask?

Why would they think that she did not have the right to know what was happening? How was that fair?

She sighed dejectedly.

The fact that she was even being taken to the airport was another matter. Besides the suspicious urgency they traveled with. She did not plan on this nor was she expecting this. She had prom and it was a one-time event.

Yet, even that was being wrenched away from her. Her heart sunk further, a cloud of darkness and sadness settling over her head.

Her teary eyes trailed from the shoulder of Lisa over the shoulders of Mark. The way his fingers turned expertly, switching from the wheel to the gear. And back again.

To see him enacting Lisa’s plan, the one driving them hurt her the most. Not the fact that they had to relocate. Not the fact that her mother had basically handled her like she did not have a say in her life.

None of those.

What hurt her the most was the fact that her father was in this too.

Her legs quivered, her lips twisting down in a sad expression. She dropped her eyelids now, sobbing.

“I can’t… I can’t believe you would do this too.” She moaned out in pain.

“Baby, it’s not what you think. This is all for you.” Mark said to her with a forced clam voice. The panic in his words could easily be sniffed out miles away.

“Tell her. I don’t need her acting like she is acting. As if we are hurting her.” Lisa thundered, angrily shooting a look backwards at her.

“Because you are.” Belle retorted. “Both of you are hurting me. When will either of you ever care for my feelings? For what I have to say in this matter?” She roared.

Lisa turned around, thumping her right fist against the dashboard. She kept silent, only staring at Mark. And then continued to look about as the car sped along.

“You don’t understand.” Mark said.

The words fueled the already raging storm inside of Belle. She turned her face, baring out dentition towards the figure of her dad.

Then exploded to him.

“Then make me understand.” The audacity she let out melted on the spot. Her voice broke down towards the end as her stomach twisted.

“Make me understand why you’re hurting me… why? Have I not been a good daughter to you both?” She whimpered.

“This cry attitude is beginning to annoy me. You would be a good girl if you were just so mature about this.” Lisa thundered.

But Belle would have none of it. She retorted instantly, her eyes flashing, her head jerking towards her mothers side.

“Maybe if you were more open with me like you are supposed to be, then I wouldn’t be crying now.”

“Oh no! No you don’t, young lady. You would not talk to me like that.” Lisa rapped out, twisting around to glare at her daughter.

“Or what? You’re going to hoist me over your shoulders and throw me into another car?” Belle narrowed her eyes instantly. With a scoff, she threw her head backwards.

“Like you’ve not already done that with me.”

“Oh, really? I would not have you talking that way with me, you understand?”

Lisa declared. She swiftly reached backwards, her hand diving into the backseat. Seeing this, Belle instinctively pulled back, evading the reach of her mother.

“Lisa. Sit!” Mark ordered, his voice resounding over the roar of the car. “This is not the way to act.”

Lisa huffed. Sitting back in the front seat, just beside him and crossing her hands just on her chest. She liked to sit on the side of the road, adjusting the rear view mirror and then looking into it. However, tonight was different. She did not look into it with the intent of admiring the view. Her continuously darting eyes and the nervous gasps every now and then testified to it. It was like she was watching out for something.

As if something was after them. And they needed to pump in more speed to get away.

“You see?!” Belle followed up. “This is what I am talking about. Instead of her trying to make me understand, she decided by using force. Like that is…”

“Belle. Shut up!” Mark thundered, veins rippling out on his temples. “Both of you, sit quietly, okay?”

She gasped out.

This was the first time she’d seen Mark lash out at her. He had always been a gentle parent. The one who took her did most of the time.

Seeing him roaring out against her slammed agonizingly into her head. She ground her teeth, locking out the rest of the words she wanted to spew, the bile in her throat rising simultaneously.

Still, it was better she stayed still. Like Mark commanded. Then for her to do otherwise.

It was best she had him by her side, than to go against him. At least, that was what she wanted to believe.

To have both Lis and Mark working in sync would mean the death of her.

“I am trying my best to get us out of this hell hole,” Mark continued. “The best you can do is to behave yourself. Okay? This is not ideal for any of us, we just have to bear with it, that’s all.”

THUD! THUD!!

Heavy running footsteps exploded from the back of the car.

“What is that?” Mark asked.

Lisa pulled down the rear view mirror in the car, watching it. Before swerving around, her eyes opened wide with a gasp.

THUD!! THUD!!! THUDDDD!!!!

Multiple footsteps resounded now. Belle froze up. Mark gasped.

“No!” Lisa shook her head frantically. “They’re here! We’re too late.”

Mark stomped hard against the gas. The engine sputtered some more horsepower. The top speed rocketed to 180mph.

Still, the heavy steps continued to pound. The synchrony of the steps resonated mercilessly as the road shook. The reverberations of their stomping now reached the car. Belle’s eyes widened just then, her rear view Visio. Picking out the forms of shadowy figures.

One on both sides of the car. Running, savage grins with spittle spewing out of their canine infested dentition.

“Faster, Mark, Faster!” Lisa cried out, cold sweat breaking off her skin.

And for the second time in one night, Belle saw an emotion that was alien to Lisa.

She saw fear, cold and icy, right in Lisa’s face.

Unbridled terror